Fact Check: Joe Biden Claims to Not Support Green New Deal

CLAIM: Former Vice President Joe Biden claimed to not support the Green New Deal during Tuesday’s presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio.

VERDICT: FALSE.

Biden’s own campaign website describes the Green New Deal as a “crucial framework” in combating what it claims is a “climate crisis” in a section titled, “THE BIDEN PLAN FOR A CLEAN ENERGY REVOLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE”:

Vice President Biden knows there is no greater challenge facing our country and our world. Today, he is outlining a bold plan – a Clean Energy Revolution – to address this grave threat and lead the world in addressing the climate emergency.

Biden believes the Green New Deal is a crucial framework for meeting the climate challenges we face. It powerfully captures two basic truths, which are at the core of his plan: (1) the United States urgently needs to embrace greater ambition on an epic scale to meet the scope of this challenge, and (2) our environment and our economy are completely and totally connected.

Joe Biden: “the Green New Deal will pay for itself” pic.twitter.com/PNBqZY6q1D

— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) September 30, 2020

“The Green New Deal will pay for itself,” said Biden, seconds before saying, “I don’t support the Green New Deal.”

Trump replied, “Oh, you don’t? Well, that’s a big statement. You just lost the radical left.”

“I support the Biden plan,” added Biden.

The originally slated debate topics did not include “climate change” or “global warming,” which were added by the debate’s organizers following left-wing critiques of their omission.